TRANS-AMERICAN MAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13781, 20 June 1908, Page 7

TRANS-AMERICAN MAILS.

NEW ZEALAND IN,IB DAYS. SHORT ROUTE TO AUSTRALASIA. [FROM OVE OWN - CORRESPONDENT.] London-, May 8. Mr. E. Fonoi Wright ha« just returned from Mexico and North America, where he has been investigating possibilities of new and shorter mail routes to New Zealand. The one specially view on the present occasion has its Atlantic port at New York, and its Pacific outlet at Topolobampo or Guaymas. Mr. Wright, who interviewed representatives of the American railway companies that would serve this route, writes as follows: — " On'my way to London I stayed a week in Kansas City, and had' a- long interview with the officials of the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad, and obtained some valuable information. Their road will not, however, be in running order tinder three years. Mexico will give a subsidy to this roadjust what amount I do not know at present. There is, however, plenty of coal on the road that can be delivered at about 16s per ton, and it is considered that there will, be an ample supply of oil for fuel obtained east of Chihuahua, in land adjoining the railway. " The German-American Steamship Company have a contract with the Orient Railroad by which it is agreed that all passengers or goods not otherwise directed must be booked for the German-American line of steamers. Further, the Orient Railroad is very anxious to develop the said line of steamers, so much so that I was asked if the German-American Company, put on fast steamers would they be subsidised? I -said certainly not, as the British Empire was not going to subsidise German steam-., ers any more than Germany would subsidise British steamers, "The Orient Railroad Company admit that by making up a special train for passengers and mails it could run between Topolobampo and Kansas City, or vice versa, a. distance of 1660 miles, in 40 hours. In. the same way the distance between Kansas City and Chicago, 458 miles by the Sante Fe Road, can be run in 10 hours; and the distance from Chicago to New York is 960 miles over the New York Central, the journey being covered in 18 hours, or a total distance of 3078 miles in 68 hours— or, say, 72 hours, or three days allowing for delays. The mails," continues Mr. Fondi Wright, "are now delivered between New York and London iu six days by the Lusitania, or the) sister ship, or a distance of over 6000 miles more than half the distance between London and' Auckland— nine days.*' " To prove that this is practical, I may mention," proceeds Mr. Wright, " that a gentleman a few weeks ago left London at 11 a.m. on one Saturday and he arrived in Kansas City the next Saturday in tune to have dinner with friends at eight p.m. Add another 40 hours to reach Topolobampo, and you have exactly nine days one hour; and this is without any special arrangement. So it. just rests with Australasia as to what tune ■ the mails are delivered in Sydney.

" if the Topolobaihpo .service were never to come into existence, there is still another very nearly as good, for at, Guaymas, (pronounced Ymus) there is a, railway connecting with the- Southern Pacific at Benson. This railway company is just as anxious to sec a. steamer sen-ice as is the Orient Railroad. There is no prospect of obtaining cheap oil at this point for fuel, but I have it on very good authority that a railway will be built into a coalfield, at this point;-in six months; the field would be of a- great area; in fact, I am told that Mr. Haniman, the American railway magnate, has from 250,000 to 300.000 acres of this field;- which is said to be 'semi-anthracite, and the best coal in America. The importance of this will be understood when I tell you that g-ton of this semi-anthracite is said, to be equal to 1£ ton of the best bituminous. On the same authority I state thai, Mr. Harriman does not control the whole field, and that there are others who have areas of the same field. The seam, I understand, is 40ft thick, about 100 ft below the surface, and that, owing to cheap Mexican labour, it can be put on board for about 8s per ton.

"I would say in conclusion, it is.certain in the near future that if the British Empire does not put on an efficient line of steamers from America to Australasia either the German-American Steamship Company or the Southern Pacific Railroad (which now has a lino of steamers of about 10,000 tons each running from America to the Orient) will put on a line-of steamers to New Zealand and Australia. If this is dona it will be equivalent to -what has been done by Japan in wiping out the P. and 0. Co. in the East. This is, as far. as I can see, the aim of the Little Englander, but not of those of the British Empire. who wish to follow in the footsteps of their forefathers, who made the Empire what it is."